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11 easy risotto recipes

So, when I found myself all alone on Father’s Day, I decided to cook a smoked salmon and leek risotto for lunch to cheer myself up.

Nom. Nom!

Here’s the recipe, plus 10 more I’ve made over the years.

Recipe: Smoked salmon, champagne & leek risotto

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 leek, finely chopped

2 cups arborio rice

1.25 litres chicken stock

150g smoked salmon fillet

1/2 cup champagne

2 handfuls baby spinach

1/3 cup cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

METHOD: Heat olive oil in a deep-based frying pan and saute leeks until soft. Add arborio rice and stir to coat. Saute 1 minute. Add champagne. Stir until evaporated. Add chicken stock 1 cup at a time, stirring until it’s absorbed. Continue adding until the rice is just al dente. Add spinach. Simmer a minute more, until almost all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in cream, smoked salmon and parmesan.

Recipe: Grand Marnier & prawn risotto

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cups arborio rice

1.25 litres chicken stock, warmed

400g garlic green prawns (the ones from IGA are Aussie – oi, oi, oi!)

1/2 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

1/3 cup cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Chopped parsley

METHOD: Heat olive oil in a deep-based frying pan and saute prawns until just pink. Remove. Saute onion until soft, adding a little more olive oil if necessary. Add arborio rice and stir to coat. Saute 1 minute. Add chicken stock 1 cup at a time, stirring until it’s absorbed. Continue adding until the rice is just al dente. Add the prawns, orange juice and Grand Marnier. Simmer a minute or two more, until almost all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in cream and parmesan. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

RECIPE: Barley “risotto” with chicken and mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

500g chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced

200g swiss brown mushrooms, sliced

1 medium brown onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large leek, thinly sliced

1 cup barley

1/2 cup white wine

1 litre chicken stock

1 cup water

1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Heat oil in heavy-based frying pan. Stir-fry chicken until cooked through. Set aside. Add extra oil to pan. Saute onion and garlic until soft. Add mushrooms and saute two minutes. Add barley and stir to combine. Add white wine to pan and simmer until liquid almost evaporates. Mix stock and water together. Add stock mixture to pan, 1 cup at a time, simmering and stirring occasionally until liquid almost evaporates. Continue until barley is tender (about 30 minutes). Add more water if the grain is still too firm. When barley is tender, add chicken and warm through. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves (if desired) and serve.

RECIPE: CHICKEN AND LEEK RISOTTO

1 litre chicken stock

1 cup white wine

2 leeks, white parts only, quartered and finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

olive oil

2 cups arborio rice

4 chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized chunks

large handful grated parmesan

METHOD: Gently heat wine and stock in a saucepan. Heat olive oil in a heavy pan and sweat leeks and garlic until soft. Increase heat in pan to medium. Stir-fry chicken until no longer visibly pink. Add arborio rice and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring until it is almost absorbed by the rice. Continue until rice is al-dente. Stir through parmesan. Serve.

NOTE: If I wasn’t serving the dish to the Sprogs, I’d add some chilli with the leeks and garlic to give it a bit of kick. A handful of shredded basil leaves tossed through at the end would be yum too.

METHOD: Heat the olive oil in a heavy based pan over a medium flame. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened. Add the rice and stir for two minutes to coat the grains with oil. Add the white wine and thyme to the rice and cook until it has almost evaporated. Add beetroot water, stirring until liquid is almost absorbed. Add the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring until liquid is absorbed. Continue until the rice is cooked but still slightly al dente, about 20 minutes. Stir through the beetroot. Serve in bowls with crumbled goat’s cheese, walnuts and a handful of rocket leaves on each.